Baycruiser 23 Engine

[trailing by]

Hello, I'm a bit of an oldie, but new on here and I'm considering a Baycruiser 23 and will keep an eye out for anything coming up second-hand. It'll be quite a change for us as we have been sailing larger, more offshore-oriented boats for some years.  However, we started on dinghies and then progressed to a Cornish Shrimper (inboard) and have also trailed and sailed a Red Fox 20 (outboard).

I only know a little about the BC23, but she looks as if she might well suit our move back to trailer sailing.  It appears that the boat was designed primarily with outboard propulsion in mind and I wonder how many have been built with inboards.  The pros and cons list for both engine types is endlessly debatable, but overall, I've come to prefer inboards.  I'd be interested in any comments from BC23 sailors, especially if they have any knowledge / experience of the inboard.

[Rosieferg]

Hi There
I went through the same thought process re outboard v inboard engine but was completely (and I think correctly) convinced by Matt of Swallow Yachts that the boat is much better suited to having an outboard. And in fact there are I think very few built with inboards 
Reluctantly I am having to sell my boat, and wonder whether you might be interested. She was built in 2021, very high spec and in pretty much immaculate condition.  She is pale grey, with teak trim, performance rig, Garmin chartplotter, harken winches, Yamaha 9.9 outboard with electric start , brand new (never been in the water) custom made trailer. Sail no is 78. She has been sailed very little and is currently stored undercover.  Let me know if you would like more details and pic.

[trailing by]

Thanks Rosieferg.  There are some obvious things in favour of inboards but some discussions outside this forum has given a list of things against:

extra weight
no ability to dry out
extra drag when sailing
loss of space
hassle of anodes etc
trailer needs greater immersion, including hubs

For me, the drying out issue is important, and, as I want to launch / recover the boat myself rather than pay for craneage, the trailer immersion is critical too.
 
Unfortunately, my budget won't stretch to your boat Rosieferg.  She looks really good - nice colour.

[Sea Simon]

A few thoughts, fwiw? My BC 26 is inboard diesel, saildrive.

extra weight....yes undoubtedly.
no ability to dry out.... Not so. I can, and do dry out. However, need to be very aware of the vulnerable saildrive.
extra drag when sailing. ...Not too bad. Saildrive aperture has a fairing diaphragm.  Folding prop.
loss of space...yes.
hassle of anodes etc...yes, especially  on a Beta Marine diesel/twin disc drive leg. They eat anodes. Fortunately,  as a Marine Engineer I do my own maintenance, in situ of of course.
trailer needs greater immersion, including hubs...yes, very much so. Immersing a double axle braked trailer can quickly/easily become very expensive and time consuming. My trailer has never been in the water, the boat being moved by a yard hoist and placed on the trailer, mast up. Original owner used to take the mast down (alloy - so crane required), then tow home behind a Land Rover for barn storage.  I have neither LR, nor barn; she lives in a yard near home. As before, the boat is launched in the spring, and recovered in the autumn.
My Storage fees include over-summering the trailer. It is too big/heavy to move by hand.

For me, the drying out issue is important, and, as I want to launch / recover the boat myself rather than pay for craneage, the trailer immersion is critical too.
...Yes... to me, the owners planned routine/cycle of usage is the key driver in "acceptability " of an inboard? Now in my 2nd season, it definitely works for me. Quiet, very economical, reliable, always immediately available (as is the fuel, there are several ports hereabouts where "bulk petrol" is not readily available.

Other things?
Obvioulsy...Trailer/train size/weight. My trailer maybe about a Ton MT, I fear? Towed it once behind my ordinary estate car. Not something I'd want to do regularly,  it definitely had control of the car. With boat loaded, it would be over 10m long (not that I'd be able to move it with the car, even if stupid enough to try)!
Years ago, as a group of pals, we campaigned an International 6m (almost 40ft, maybe 8T - perhaps more?) Towing a tri-axle trailer behind a very large US Ford F650 double rear wheel pick up. Towing to France decided for me that it was NOT the sort of thing that I wanted to do for a "holiday". This gets complicated,  and VERY expensive. Wealthier owners use especially converted 7.5 T flat bed lorries, towing the support rhib on a trailer. The very wealthiest,  adapted curtain side artics!

Towing a BC 23 might be about my personal limit, in financial/commitment terms (needs a bigger car, more fuel, more "admin") and in terms of "nerve"?

However, I'm  fortunate,  in that I have pals with boats based in both Scilly and W Scotland, so no need to tow mine!

So...maybe don't dismiss an inboard, should one turn up - it might suit? But,  As far as I know, there are very few.

[trailing by]

That's good info Sea Simon.
Either I misunderstood about the inability to dry out, or perhaps it relates to the 23 but not the 26.  Regardless, I think the trailer immersion issue becomes the deciding factor against the inboard.  A shame really because an inboard would be my preference if all things were equal. 
Yes - 23 foot feels like enough as far as towing is concerned and I certainly wouldn't fancy your mega tri-axle rig!  But I do hope to do proper trailer sailing to different areas so we'll see how it goes.
I noticed a post from a Baycruiser 26 owner who had found that side of it too much and had ended up keeping his boat in one place which hadn't been the original plan.  I hope I don't end up with the same experience!

[Graham W]

My first boat was a Norfolk Gypsy with a Yanmar 10hp inboard https://www.neilthompsonboats.co.uk/preowned/norfolk-gypsy-turaco/.  This is the same boat that I owned - she had a navy blue hull when I had her.  Although the same length as the BayRaider, she weighed nearly three times as much and was reassuringly solid.

As with the BC26 mentioned above, I never intended to use her as a trailerable day sailer, flitting from place to place.  But she could be towed to a new sailing area at the start of each season, before boredom had a chance to set in.  That involved a tow car with a large engine (a Vauxhall Senator) and finding a new secure mooring each year, usually a marina with pontoons.  An expensive way of going about things with a relatively small boat and this was the reason why I eventually sold her.  On the other hand, secondhand values for older Gypsies have tended to rise rather than fall, compensating for sometimes eye-watering operating costs.